Increasing Judicial Resilience RESOURCE PACK

‘Stress occurs when pressure exceeds our perceived ability to cope’

(Cooper and Palmer, 2000)

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STRESS ASSESSMENT Everyone can feel the effects of stress from time to time. Please tick the statements which have been true for you during the past month.

Statement Tick if appropriate

1. Have you felt irritable?

2. Have you been worrying a lot?

3. Have you been irritable?

4. Have you had difficulty relaxing?

5. Have you been sleeping poorly?

6. Have you had headaches or neck aches?

7. Have you had any of the following:

8. Trembling, tingling, dizzy spells, sweating, diarrhoea?

9. Have you been worried about your health?

10. Have you had difficulty falling asleep?

11. Have you had low energy?

12. Have you had loss of interests?

13. Have you lost confidence in yourself?

14. Have you felt hopeless?

15. Have you had difficulty concentrating?

16. Have you lost weight due to poor appetite?

17. Have you been waking early?

18. Have you felt slow in yourself?

19. Have you tended to feel worse in the mornings?

Interpretation of scores Add up the number of ticks and consider:

0 - 5 No / little cause for concern

5 - 10 Some cause for concern. Concentration on stress coping tactics would be

useful

10 or more Constructive action/or visit to GP would be advisable

Atos Healthcare

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TYPE A/B QUESTIONNAIRE Adapted from Cooper’s adaptation of Botner ‘Type A scale’

For each of the statements below, circle one number which best describes the way you behave in your everyday life. For example if you are generally on time for appointments, for the first point you would circle a number between 7 and 11. If you are generally casual about appointments you would circle one of the lower numbers between 1 and 5. Casual about appointments 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Never late _________________________________________________________________________ Not competitive 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Very competitive __________________________________________________________________________ Good listener 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Anticipates what others

are going to say __________________________________________________________________________ Never feels rushed 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Always rushed (even under pressure) __________________________________________________________________________ Can wait patiently 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Impatient when waiting __________________________________________________________________________ Takes things one at a time 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Tries to do lots of things

at once and thinks about what to do next

__________________________________________________________________________ Slow deliberate talker 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Fast, forceful talker __________________________________________________________________________ Cares little about what 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Wants good job to be others might think recognised by others __________________________________________________________________________ Slow when doing things 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Fast (eating, walking etc) __________________________________________________________________________ Easy going 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Driven to do well __________________________________________________________________________ Expresses feelings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Hides feelings __________________________________________________________________________ Many outside interests 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Few outside interests _________________________________________________________________________ Not ambitious 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Ambitious __________________________________________________________________________ Casual in approach 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Eager to get things done __________________________________________________________________________

Plot your score below:

Type B Type A 14 50 84 120 154

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RESILIENCE

Robertson Cooper model i-resilience questionnaire: www.robertsoncooper.com/iresilience/

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RESILIENCE SELF ASSESSMENT Rating scale:

1 (Almost never, 2(Sometimes), 3 (About half the time), 4 (Often), 5 (Almost always)

1 On a daily basis, how often do you keep all the agreements you make to take good care of yourself?

2 How often do you stop and consciously think about the stressors in your life and think about your

way of thinking?

3 How often do you find that you have had just the right amount of sleep at night, such that you can

reliably and enjoyably go full speed ahead all day long, without “crashing” along the way?

4 How often do you take an average of at least 15 minutes a day to just be still and intentionally do

something such as deep breathing, mediation, prayer or anything else relaxing?

5 How often do you take an average of at least 30 minutes a day to exercise aerobically (i.e.

vigorously, to the point of perspiring), such that your body feels well exercised and invigorated?

6 How often do you spend time during an average week to engage intentionally in a “creative” practice

(i.e. an activity) that falls outside of your work, e.g. a hobby?

7 How often do you find yourself enjoying the fact that you are consistently right “at the top of your

game”?

8 How much of the time do you feel that your life is satisfactorily under your control and moving

forward in a desirable, positive direction?

TOTAL

How to interpret your total score:

16 or less: You should prioritise taking better care of yourself. Your resilience-readiness is low and you are vulnerable to the inevitable stresses caused by unexpected upsets and adversities. 17 – 23: You would do well to start taking better care of yourself. Your resilience-readiness is low and you are at risk of unexpected events causing you stress. 24-31: You have a reasonable measure of resilience-readiness. With good luck, you may be able to get by, and you could still build your resilience further. 32 – 36: Your resilience-readiness is likely to be solid. Others probably regard it as enviable. There is still room to take even better care of yourself. 37 – 40: You are probably in the top one percent of the population in terms of your resilience-readiness. You should try to maintain this level.

Self Assessment of Psychological resilience, LPP Consulting, 2012

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BUILDING RESILIENCE Please consider what you might start or continue doing in order to build and maintain your levels of resilience. Try and consider those changes that will have the most positive personal impact on your life and concentrate on these. Don’t try and tackle too many changes at once. Remember, if you change one thing in your life you have started to make a difference.

1. Social

Research indicates that having a strong social network not only minimizes stress, it fosters a sense of belonging and boosts self esteem.

Schedule work: Try to schedule your work activities so that you avoid taking as much work home. Create space between home and work life.

Allow time for hobbies: plan enjoyable activities which absorb your concentration – these will help you stop thinking about work too much.

Review your social life: identify with whom you feel a sense of connection. Seek out those who you feel comfortable in saying how you really feel.

Connect with people: Diary at least two leisure/social activities each week. Take time to meet up with friends or take a few minutes to say hi to the people around you. Having people "there for you" when you need it is well worth the time invested

Improve your interpersonal skills: do you need to improve how you listen, understand and respond to others, express feelings and thoughts?

Learn to accept support and share your feelings: is not a sign of weakness and it won’t mean you’re a burden to others.

Volunteer: A study of the effect of altruistic behaviour on mental health showed reduced stress levels in people who dedicated a few hours of their time to caring for others.

Keep a diary: A good way to examine and express your thoughts is to start a journal, or start expressive writing regularly. Writing about your feelings—especially if they're intense and it’s done in a time-limited way—can help you to get them out of your head.

Further ideas

What time have you scheduled for yourself?

Do you need more balance between the practical and intellectual?

Have you made time for those things that are important in life?

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2. Health

When your own needs are taken care of, you’re stronger and more resilient to stress. As you make more positive lifestyle choices, you’ll soon notice a reduction in your stress levels and you will be more able to manage work stress without becoming overwhelmed.

Exercise: Activities which raise your heart rate will lift your mood, increase energy, sharpen focus, and relax both the mind and body. Health professionals advise 30 minutes of heart-pounding activity on most days (e.g. brisk walking to/from work, using stairs instead of lifts, walking up escalators etc). Choose something you enjoy - you are more likely to exercise. Integrate more spells of exercise into your working day e.g. get off the train a stop earlier, or park the car further away from the office.

Eat food that keeps you going: Low blood sugar can make you feel anxious and irritable, while eating too much can make you lethargic. Try to consume 5 portions of fruit/vegetables per day. Eating small but frequent meals helps your body maintain an even level of blood sugar, keep your energy up, stay focused, and avoid mood swings.

Moderate alcohol, nicotine and caffeine intake: Alcohol temporarily reduces anxiety and worry, but too much can cause anxiety as it wears off and can lead to dependence. Smoking or drinking lots of coffee may seem calming. More than three cups of strong coffee a day may be enough for ‘caffeine poisoning’ and nicotine is a powerful stimulant – leading to higher, not lower, levels of anxiety.

Sleep well: Stress and worry can cause insomnia but a lack of sleep can leave you vulnerable to even more stress. It is easier to keep an emotional balance with good quality sleep (between 6-8 hours a night). If you suffer insomina, move to a different room and don’t watch TV. Read a magazine/newspaper or do something that sets a natural rhythm and is not stimulating until you feel sleepy.

Practice relaxation skills: they need practice just as in every other skill. Yoga, pilates and breathing exercises can be calming and quieting, but without the type of silence that feels deafening.

Further ideas

When was the last time you had your blood pressure and cholesterol checked?

Do you listen to your body when it is saying ‘slow down’?

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3. Self organisation and purposefulness

‘I like work: it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours’ (Jerome K Jerome) - be alert to signs of procrastination and avoidance.

Time management

Slow your response time to problems: Type A personalities think well on their feet. Reacting on your feet can be less helpful, leading to hurt feelings, miscommunication and escalated tension.

Create a balanced schedule: Analyse your schedule, responsibilities, and daily tasks. Try to find a balance between work and family life, social activities and solitary pursuits, daily responsibilities and downtime.

Don’t over-commit yourself: Set realistic rather than idealistic goals, it is common to underestimate how long things take. Avoid scheduling things back-to-back or trying to fit too much into one day. Allow time for the unexpected. Drop tasks that aren't truly necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them entirely.

Allow extra time: Don’t add to your stress levels by running late.

Plan regular breaks: Take short breaks (take a walk or get away from your desk at lunch) and clear your mind, it will help you be more productive.

Task management

Prioritize tasks: Make a list of tasks and tackle them in order of importance. Distinguish between the "shoulds" and the "musts." Do the unpleasant and difficult tasks first so that it you don’t dread them all day. Avoid frustration by concentrating on those things that you have direct control over or can influence.

Break tasks into small steps: If a task seems overwhelming, make a step-by-step plan. Focus on one step at a time, rather than taking on everything at once.

Delegate responsibility: You don’t have to do it all yourself. Let go of the desire to control or oversee every little step. Allow others to do things their way.

Anticipate issues: Prepare for meetings by listing items you want to discuss.

Further ideas

Do you know what the key priorities are in your work? Have you allocated enough time?

Do you over-plan as a way of avoiding actually doing anything?

Do you regularly review your progress against what you set out to achieve?

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4. Self belief and adaptability

Your moment-to-moment emotions influence your thoughts and actions, so pay attention to your feelings and how they affect you both physically and the decisions you make at work.

Resist perfectionism: No project, situation, or decision is ever perfect, so trying to attain perfection will simply add unnecessary stress. When you set unrealistic goals or try to do too much, you set yourself up to fall short. Allow your best to be good enough.

Challenge your negative thinking: Self-critical thinking is a learned habit which can drain energy and motivation. Write down the negative thoughts that are getting in your way and what action you are going to take to challenge them.

Manage setbacks: See your limitations as points of growth rather than the things that define you.

Think positive: Self criticism does not reflect the whole truth about yourself. Write down a list of your strengths and successes so when you have setbacks you can encourage yourself.

Don’t try to control the uncontrollable: Many things are beyond our control, particularly the behaviour of others. Focus on what you can control e.g. the way you choose to react to problems.

Assert yourself: Be prepared to express your thoughts and your feelings even where this risks disagreement.

Acknowledge success: If you have a setback, be kind to yourself. Celebrate success yours and others - after a day’s work, try thinking of something positive that you/others did and praise their effort – you will feel positive.

Further ideas

Are you hanging on to some critical

Are you hanging on to some self-critical thoughts? If so, what are you going to do about it?

What time are you spending looking at your good points and noticing examples of your qualities, strengths, skills and talent?

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MINDFULNESS ACTIVITIES Mindfulness Meditation Find a place where you can sit quietly and undisturbed for a few moments. To begin, you might want to set a timer for about 10 minutes, but after some experience you should not be too concerned about the length of time you spend meditating. Begin by bringing your attention to the present moment by noticing your breathing. Pay attention to your breath as it enters and then leaves your body. Before long, your mind will begin to wander, pulling you out of the present moment. That’s ok. Notice your thoughts and feelings as if you are an outside observer watching what’s happening in your brain. Take note, and allow yourself to return to your breathing. Sometimes you might feel frustrated or bored. That’s fine--these are just a few more feelings to notice. Your mind might start to plan an upcoming weekend, or worry about a responsibility. Notice where your thoughts are going, and accept what’s happening. Whenever you are able to, return your concentration to your breathing. Continue this process until your timer rings, or until you are ready to be done.

Body Scan During the body scan exercise you will pay close attention to physical sensations throughout your body. The goal isn’t to change or relax your body, but instead to notice and become more aware of it. Don’t worry too much about how long you practice, but do move slowly. Begin by paying attention to the sensations in your feet. Notice any sensations such as warmth, coolness, pressure, pain, or a breeze moving over your skin. Slowly move up your body--to your calves, thighs, pelvis, stomach, chest, back, shoulders, arms, hands, fingers, neck, and finally your head. Spend some time on each of these body parts, just noticing the sensations. After you travel up your body, begin to move back down, through each body part, until you reach your feet again. Remember: move slowly, and just pay attention.

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USEFUL RESOURCES

Mobile phone apps:

All the apps listed below are available from the Apple store (itunes.apple.com) or Google Play (https://play.google.com).

1. Buddhify

This nicely-designed UK-created app is aimed at busy urbanites. You tell it whether you’re at the gym, walking, commuting or home. You can then pick a track “flavour” or style of meditation and choose from male or female voices. There’s a two-player meditation mode so you can get someone else involved. Buddhify 2’s coming out in December with a redesign- expect more scenarios and tracks to choose from.

2. Sleep Easily Meditation

According to the Great British Sleep Survey, over 51% of us find it hard to nod off. Stress and burnout expert Jayne Morris recommends this app to help. There’s a 25-minute guided meditation that combines soothing music with talking you through the relaxation process. The female voice is surprisingly calming – I was out for the count within 10 minutes.

Free

3. Calm – meditation and relaxation

This simple to use app presents the 7 Steps of Calm. There are seven guided sessions running from 2-20 minutes with a range of background scenes and sounds to choose from (think beaches, meadows and pouring rain). The voice on the guided sessions is a bit spacey but the music by Kip Mazuy – a big name in the music meditation world - is a cut above other offerings.

Free for iphone and ipad

4. Smiling Mind

Adults aren’t the only ones who are stressed. Sometimes you need to think of the kids too. Smiling Mind was created in Australia and is aimed at helping young people de-stress and stay calm. There are tailored programmes for different age groups, all delivered in relaxing Aussie tones. There’s one for adults too so you don’t have to miss out.

Free, available on iPhone, iPad and Android

5. Simply Being Guided Meditation

Good for beginners, this easy-to-use app talks you through the basic skills in sessions ranging from 5-20 minutes. Choose your sound preference –the likes of ocean, rain and stream – and sit back and relax. It comes loaded with meditation tips too.

Available for iPhone, iPad and Android

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6. Headspace

Headspace co-founder Andy Puddicombe is a former Buddhist monk aiming to make meditation accessible. He delivers the directed 10-minute sessions in his relaxed style - no hippy talk here, he strips it down to basics and throws in the odd joke. Emma Watson’s a fan so you’re in good company with this one.

http://www.getsomeheadspace.com

7. Walking Meditations

Do you spend all day desk-bound? Jayne Morris recommends this app for busy people who want to mediate when they can fit it in. There’s a choice of three short tracks, each with a different focus - ideal for a mindfulness fix on your lunch-break.

0.69, Available on iPhone, iPad and Android

8. Meditation helper

Once you’ve got underway with your meditation you might want to set yourself goals. Use this handy app to set a target for the length of time you want to meditate each day. It lets you know when you’ve hit your target each day so it’s a good motivator to make sure you stick to your guns.

Free, available for iPhone, iPad and Android

9. Room to Breathe Meditation

Nailing your breathing is key in helping you keep calm and switch off. This app can help anyone who has had problems meditating. There’s a step-by-step-guide to breathing techniques with music options to choose from too.

Available on iPad, iPhone and Android

10. Relax Melodies

Want to learn the art of power napping but can’t switch off? This app can help. Choose from a library of relaxing tracks with different themes – Jane Morris’s favourite is ‘Celtic Ride’, “It takes me back to childhood memories of living in Scotland, surrounded by rolling green hills,” she says. There’s a timer and alarm function to stop the nap becoming a deeper sleep.

Free. Available for iPhone, iPad and Android

Books:

The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology that Fuel Success and Performance at Work, Shawn Anchor, 2011.

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London WC2A2LL

www.judiciary.gov.uk